With an estimated 1.1 million Americans living with HIV and with one out of five people infected with HIV having no knowledge of being infected, the National Association of People with AIDS and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring the annual National HIV Testing Day June 27.
Commenting on the AIDS epidemic, Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, HHS, assistant secretary for health said, “We have made tremendous progress in addressing this epidemic over the past 30 years and we are not giving up the fight. I look forward to the day when this devastating disease is a part of our history, not our future.”
More than 56,300 Americans become newly infected with HIV every year and thousands who have the disease are not in any kind of medical care. A crucial step to controlling and eventually beating the virus, according to the event’s organizers, is regular testing.
To find the nearest HIV testing site and other services, including housing, substance abuse, family planning, mental health, and health centers, go to locator.aids.gov and enter your ZIP code into the HIV Prevention and Services Provider locator tool. Additional HIV resources can be found through the San Diego LGBT Community Center at 619-692-2077 or thecentersd.org.
